System for anchoring modular housing units

ABSTRACT

This invention discloses a novel system for anchoring modular housing units which are assembled from pre-fabricated panels at the building site. The wall panels are formed with an offset base portion so that when the wall panels are assembled on the footing provided at the building site a generally continuous ledge around the outer perimeter of the floor plan area for the housing unit is provided. A layer of fill sand is spread throughout the interior floor plan area, and a concrete floor layer is poured on top of the fill sand and extends to the outer perimeter of the floor plan area to cover the top of the continuous ledge and thereby provide an effective anchor for the housing unit. Further structural integrity is provided by connecting reinforcement rods between the concrete floor and the footing.

United States Patent [191 Elmore [4 1 Nov. 19, 1974 SYSTEM FOR ANCHORING MODULAR HOUSING UNITS [52] US. Cl 52/169, 52/274, 52/293, 52/295 [51] Int. Cl E02d 27/00, E04b 5/32, E04b l/35 [58] Field of Search 52/270, 259, 742, 743, 52/294, 295, 250, 263, 274, 293, 491, 169

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 407,500 7/1889 Vaughan 52/169 1,971,331 8/1934 Cavaglierim. 52/250 X 2,335,433 11/1943 Minck 52/293 X 2,662,391 12/1953 Neil 52/274 X 2,709,283 5/1955 Dahm 52/169 2,865,267 12/1958 Bailey 52/274 X 2,960,745 11/1960 Wallace 52/742 X 3,017,722 1/1962 Smith 52/742 X 3,354,594 11/1967 Kilcher 52/251 3,487,599 1/1970 Jansen 52/169 3,490,186 1'/l970 Hammond 52/169 3,545,149 12/1970 Trudeau 52/283 3,633,328 7/1972 Closner et a1 52/169 X 3,662,507 5/1972 Espeland 52/270 X 3,685,241 8/1972 CooperM. 52/274 X 3,691,708 9/1972 Firnkas 52/251 X 3,693,308 9/1972 Trezzini 52/259 X Primary ExaminerFrank L. Abbott Assistant ExaminerLeslie A. Braun Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Johnson, Dienner, Emrich, Verbeck & Wagner [57] ABSTRACT This invention discloses a novel system for anchoring modular housing units which are assembled from prefabricated panels at the building site. The wall panels are formed with an offset base portion so that when the wall panels are assembled on the footing provided at the building site a generally continuous ledge around the outer perimeter of the floor plan area for the housing unit is provided. A layer of fill sand is spread throughout the interior floor plan area, and a concrete floor layer is poured on top of the fill sand and extends to the outer perimeter of the floor plan area to cover the top of the continuous ledge and thereby provide an effective anchor for the housing unit. Further structural integrity is provided by connecting reinforcement rods between the concrete floor and the footing.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEL MW 1 9 I974 SHEET 2 BF 2 FIG. 3.

SYSTEM FOR ANCHORING MODULAR HOUSING UNITS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION pletely self supporting eliminating the need for conventional support frame work.

Because the above described modular building structures are completely self supporting there is an existing need for an economical system for anchoring the building structures at the building site. This invention satisfies this need by providing a novel anchoring arrangement which uses the concrete floor to anchor the modular housing unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A system for anchoring modular housing units at the building site are constructed from a plurality of prefabricated panels to provide a self supporting building structure. The pre-fabricated wall panels are assembled together'with their lower base portion disposed on a footing which was previously poured to correspond to the interior floor plan for the housing unit. After the panels are assembled together, the dirt fill is shoveled on opposite sides of the wall panel up to the grade level and a layer of sand is spread across the interior floor plan area of the housing unit. This operation is followed by pouring a concrete layer or floor on top of the sand such that extends to the outer perimeter and covers a ledge formed at the junction of the base portion and upper vertical portion of each wall panel to thereby anchor the housing unit. Lock means are provided for interconnecting the wall panels and the concrete layer. Further anchoring strength can be provided by tying the footing to the concrete floor through the use of steel reinforcement rods installed at selected intervals around the perimeter between the footing and concrete floor.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS For a better understanding of this invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a modular housing unit;

FIG, 2 is a perspective view of the interior and exterior wall panels and roof sections of the modular housing unit of FIG. 1 prior to assembly;

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical sectional view illustrating the system for anchoring the foundatiion and wall-floor structure to provide the modular housing units as shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the foundation and wall-floor structure of a corner'of the modular housing of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. I, a modular housing unit or structure is illustrated and generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The modular housing unit is constructed in accordance with what are generally termed .pre-fabricated building techniques and includes in the illustrated embodiment four generally vertically disposed outer walls which support roof sections to define an enclosed modularhousing unit having a generally rectangular plan interior area. The outer walls of the modular housing unit 10 comprise front and rear walls 12 and end walls 14. The roof sections are indicated at 16 being formed of two inclined roof sections to define a roof peak as shown. The front wall has a door 18 providing access to the interior of the house and a similar door 20 is provided in end wall 14. Any number of windows, such as shown at 22, may be provided in the wall structural panels as desired to accomplish suitable natural lighting consistent with the over all size of the housing unit constructed.

The modular housing unit 10 is built primarily from structural panels which are molded to the required dimension and then transported to a building site for as.- sembly into the modular building unit. These panels are pre-fabricated under controlled factory condition to form complete wall panels, roof panels, etc. All of these panels are completely finished before leaving the manufacturing facility and require assembly operations only at the construction site.

There is shown in'FIG. 2, the pre-fabricated panels required to provide modular housing unit 10. The wall panels 12, 14 are molded with 45 degree bevels at each end. These beveled ends when butted together form' a mitre-joint and are fastened together with adhesives. A corner cap 24 is attached along each corner by means of structural adhesives to provide a stronger joint and a finished appearance. Pre-fabricated panels may also be used to provide interior walls 26 for dividing housing unit 10 into rooms.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a foundation construction embodying the principles of this invention and suitable for anchoring the structural wall panels 12 of a modular housing unit 10. At the construction site, a concrete footing 30 for supporting the lower edge of the structural wall panels 12 is poured to define a rectangular outline corresponding to the exterior dimensions of the floor plan of housing unit 10. The footing 30 is formed below ground level and with the lower edge of the wallstructural panel 12 resting in place on the footing, dirt fill 32 is shoveled on opposite sides of the wall panel up to the grade level indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. A sand base layer 34 is placed on top of the dirt fill within the interior area defined by the wall panels.

It is noted that the base portion 36 of the wall panels l2, 14 is vertically offset from the upper vertical portion 38 to define a generally horizontal shoulder or ledge 40. This ledge 40 is continuous and defines the outer limits of the interior floor area. Once the exterior wall panels 12 are set in place on the footing 30, a concrete floor 42 is poured across the inner floor area of the house unit and rests on top of the ledge 40. This results in the weight of the floor 42 bearing directly on the wall panels 12 to effectively anchor the structure.

To prevent any shifting between the floor 42 and wall panels 12, the floor 12 and wall panels 12 are tied together by means of a novel lock means 45 in the form of a plurality of spaced upstanding plates 47 which extend upwardly into the concrete floor 42 from the inner wall surface 49 of base portion 36. These plates 47 may be either integrally formed as part of the wall panels 12 or alternatively fastened to inner wall surface 49.

The anchoring strength is further increased by tying the footing 30 to the concrete floor 42 by means of a plurality of steel reinforcement rods 44. these reinforcement rods 44 are installed at selective intervals around the exterior walls as needed. Thus, the footing 30, the floor 42, and the exterior walls 12 with lock means 45 extending up and into the concrete flooor 42, are joined together into a single unit of maximal structural integrity.

At the entrance of each of the doorways 18 in the housing unit 10, concrete entry platforms 50 are poured with its inner edge 52 seated under the shoulder 54 formed at the offset juncture 56 of the upper vertical portion 38 and base portion 36 of one of the wall panels 12. One or more reinforcement rods 58 interconnect the entry platform 52 and footing 30 as shown in FIG. 3.

I claim:

1. In a housing unit, a prefabricated, unitary wall panelhaving an upper portion extending above a grade level and delimiting an outer perimeter of a portion of an interior area of said unit and a footing below the grade level and supporting said wall panel, and anchoring means for said wall panel comprising a base wall panel portion offset toward said interior area portion from said upper portion of said wall panel for forming a ledge at said perimeter of said interior area portion,

a layer of concrete spaced from said footing and extending over said ledge for anchoring said wall panel with said layer and over said interior area portion for forming a part of a floor of said unit, and at least one locking member connected to said base portion of said wall panel and extending from said wall panel and above said ledge into said layer of concrete for locking said wall panel and said layer against separation in a direction normal to said wall panel.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said layer is spaced from said footing by said base portion of said wall panel and comprising means additional to said wall panel extending between said floor part of said layer and said footing and tying said layer to said footing for anchor ing said layer to said footing.

3. In a housing unit having a prefabricated, unitary wall panel having an upper portion extending above a grade level and delimiting an outer perimeter of a portion of an interior area of said unit and a footing below said grade level and supporting said wall panel, a system for anchoring said wall panel comprising: a base wall panel portion offset toward said interior area portion from said upper portion of said wall panel for forming a ledge at said perimeter of said interior area portion delimited by said wall panel; a layer of concrete spaced from said footing by said base wall'panel portion and having a portion extending over said ledge for anchoring said wall panel with said layer and a portion extending over said interior area portion for forming a part of a floor of said unit; and plate means connected to said base portion of said wall panel and extending parallel to said wall panel and above said ledge into said layer for locking said panel and said layer against separation in a direction'normal to said wall panel. 

1. In a housing unit, a prefabricated, unitary wall panel having an upper portion extending above a grade level and delimiting an outer perimeter of a portion of an interior area of said unit and a footing below the grade level and supporting said wall panel, and anchoring means for said wall panel comprising a base wall panel portion offset toward said interior area portion from said upper portion of said wall panel for forming a ledge at said perimeter of said interior area portion, a layer of concrete spaced from said footing and extending over said ledge for anchoring said wall panel with said layer and over said interior area portion for forming a part of a floor of said unit, and at least one locking member connected to said base portion of said wall panel and extending from said wall panel and above said ledge into said layer of concrete for locking said wall panel and said layer against separation in a direction normal to said wall panel.
 2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said layer is spaced from said footing by said base portion of said wall panel and comprising means additional to said wall panel extending between said floor part of said layer and said footing and tying said layer to said footing for anchoring said layer to said footing.
 3. In a housing unit having a prefabricated, unitary wall panel having an upper portion extending above a grade level and delimiting an outer perimeter of a portion of an interior area of said unit and a footing below said grade level and supporting said wall panel, a system for anchoring said wall panel comprising: a base wall panel portion offset toward said interior area portion from said upper portion of said wall panel for forming a ledge at said perimeter of said interior area portion delimited by said wall panel; a layer of concrete spaced from said footing by said base wall panel portion and having a portion extending over said ledge for anchoring said wall panel with said layer and a portion extending over said interior area portion for forming a part of a floor of said unit; and plate means connected to said base portion of said wall panel and extending parallel to said wall panel and above said ledge into said layer for locking said panel and said layer against separation in a direction normal to said wall panel. 